A JOURNEY FROM MADRAS THROUGH 
make a very conspicuous appearance; whereas in general they are 
scarcely visible, being hidden by the immensity of the rocks on 
which they are situated. On the fall of the Vijaya-nagara monarchy, 
this place belonged to a Poly gar named Chiccuppa Gauda ; but more 
than a century ago it came into the possession of the Mysore fa- 
mily. Mul Raja built the fortress of stone, which formerly had 
been only of mud. Here also he built a palace ; in the suburbs he 
rebuilt a large temple ; and near it he made fine gardens, and the 
handsomest building for the reception of travellers that I have seen 
in India. Unfortunately, it is now ruinous. The fortifications were 
improved to their present form by Iiyder ; the place in his time 
was a considerable mart, and possessed some manufactures, having 
a hundred houses occupied by weavers. A Marattah chief, named 
Madi Row, held it for seven years of Hy dor's government, having- 
seized it after the victory which his countrymen gained at Tonuru. 
When he was forced to retire, he plundered the town of every thing 
that he could carry away ; and with the exaggeration usual in Hin- 
dustan , the place is said to have then been so rich, that he disdained 
to remove any thing less valuable than gold. The oppressions of 
Tippoo had nearly ruined the place, when the destruction was com- 
pleted by the, Marattah chief Bulwunt Rozv, one of Purseram Show's 
officers. Although he besieged the fort five months, he was unable 
to take it. His army was numerous, exaggerated by native ac- 
counts to 20,000 men ; but they were a mere rabble, a banditti 
assembled by the Polygars, who formerly were dispossessed of the 
neighbouring strong-holds, and who then had ventured back under 
the protection of Lord Cornwallis. When that nobleman gave peace 
to the Sultan, these ruffians had entirely ruined every open place in 
the neighbourhood ; but they were immediately afterwards dispersed 
by the Sultan , who pursued with so much activity the 500 Marattah 
horse which had joined this rabble, that twenty only escaped with 
their chief. The place has ever since been in a very languishing 
